Jump to content

Crown (Heraldry)

From Wikientry
Revision as of 23:04, 26 July 2025 by Admin (talk | contribs) (1 revision imported)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
File:Coat of arms of Norway.svg
The coat of arms of Norway, with the royal crown displayed atop the escutcheon

A crown is often an emblem of a sovereign state, usually a monarchy (see The Crown), but also used by some republics.

A specific type of crown is employed in heraldry under strict rules. Indeed, some monarchies never had a physical crown, just a heraldic representation, as in the constitutional kingdom of Belgium.

Crowns are also often used as symbols of religious status or veneration, by divinities (or their representation such as a statue) or by their representatives, e.g. the Black Crown of the Karmapa Lama, sometimes used a model for wider use by devotees.

A crown can be a charge in a coat of arms, or set atop the shield to signify the status of its owner, as with the coat of arms of Norway.

Physical and heraldic crowns[edit]

Sometimes, the crown commonly depicted and used in heraldry differs significantly from any specific physical crown that may be used by a monarchy.

As a display of rank[edit]

If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of baron or higher (or hereditary knight in some countries), he or she may display a coronet of rank above the shield, usually below the helm in British heraldry, and often above the crest (if any) in Continental heraldry.

In this case, the appearance of the crown or coronet follows a strict set of rules. A royal coat of arms may display a royal crown, such as that of Norway. A princely coat of arms may display a princely crown, and so on.

Naval, civic, mural and similar crowns[edit]

A mural crown is commonly displayed on coats of arms of towns and some republics. Other republics may use a so-called people's crown or omit the use of a crown altogether. The heraldic forms of crowns are often inspired by the physical appearance of the respective country's actual royal or princely crowns.

Ships and other units of some navies have a naval crown, composed of the sails and sterns of ships, above the shield of their coats of arms. Squadrons of some air forces have an astral crown, composed of wings and stars. There is also the Eastern crown, made up of spikes, and when each spike is topped with a star, it becomes a celestial crown.

Whereas most county councils in England use mural crowns, there is a special type of crown that was used by Scottish county councils. Today, most of the Scottish unitary authorities still use this "wheat sheaf crown", but it is now the usual gold. It was composed of spikes, was normally shown vert (green) and had golden wheat sheaves between the spikes.

Commonwealth usage[edit]

File:Baron Hawke coa.png
The coat of arms of the Barons Hawke displays a baronial coronet

In formal English, the word crown is reserved for the crown of a monarch and the Queen consort, whereas the word coronet is used for all other crowns used by members of the British royal family and peers of the realm.

In the British peerage, the design of a coronet shows the rank of its owner, as in German, French and various other heraldic traditions. The coronet of a duke has eight strawberry leaves, that of a marquess has four strawberry leaves and four silver balls (known as "pearls", but not actually pearls), that of an earl has eight strawberry leaves and eight "pearls" raised on stalks, that of a viscount has sixteen "pearls", and that of a peerage baron or (in Scotland) lord of parliament has six "pearls". Between the 1930s and 2004, feudal barons in the baronage of Scotland were granted a chapeau or cap of maintenance as a rank insignia.Template:Citation needed This is placed between the shield and helmet in the same manner as a peer's coronet. Since a person entitled to heraldic headgear customarily displays it above the shield and below the helm and crest, this can provide a useful clue as to the owner of a given coat of arms.

Members of the British royal family have coronets on their coats of arms, and they may wear physical versions at coronations. They are according to regulations made by King Charles II in 1661, shortly after his return from exile in France (getting a taste for its lavish court style; Louis XIV started monumental work at Versailles that year) and Restoration, and they vary depending upon the holder's relationship to the monarch. Occasionally, additional royal warrants vary the designs for individuals.

In Canadian heraldry, special coronets are used to designate descent from United Empire Loyalists. A military coronet signifies ancestors who served in Loyalist regiments during the American Revolution, while a civil coronet is used by all others. The loyalist coronets are used only in heraldry, never worn. A new royal crown, derived from the shape of the Tudor crown but with distinctly Canadian elements, was unveiled at a ceremony in Ottawa to mark the Coronation of Charles III.

Continental usages[edit]

Precisely because there are many traditions and more variation within some of these, there is a plethora of continental coronet types. Indeed, there are also some coronets for positions that do not exist, or do not entitle use of a coronet, in the Commonwealth tradition.

Such a case in French heraldry of the Ancien Régime, where coronets of rank did not come into use before the 16th century, is the vidame, whose coronet (illustrated) is a metal circle mounted with three visible crosses. (No physical headgear of this type is known.)

Helmets are often substitutes for coronets, and some coronets are worn only on a helmet.

Albania[edit]

King

Andorra[edit]

File:Crown of Andorra (Heraldic).svg Co-Princes

Bulgaria[edit]

File:Bulgarian Crown.svg Tsar File:Crown of Bulgarian Queen.svg Tsaritsa File:Crown of a Prince of Bulgaria.svg Prince File:Crown of a Princess of Bulgaria.svg Older Princesses File:Crown of a Younger Princess of Bulgaria.svg Younger Princesses

Croatia[edit]

File:Crown of Zvonimir (Croatia).svg Crown of Zvonimir

France[edit]

Capital Department CapitalTemplate:Efn CommuneTemplate:Efn

Ancien Régime[edit]

King Heir to the throne (Dauphin) Children and grandchildren of the sovereign
(Fils de France) 		Prince of the Blood
Duke and Peer of France Duke Marquis and Peer of France Marquis
Count and Peer of France Count Count (older) Viscount
Vidame Baron Knight's crown Knight's tortillon

Napoleonic Empire[edit]

File:Heraldic Crown of the First French Empire.svg
Emperor
(1st Empire)
 File:Imperial Crown of Napoleon Bonaparte.png
Emperor
(2nd Empire)
Sovereign
Prince
 File:Cap of an Imperial Prince Grand Dignitary.svg Prince File:Cap of an Imperial Duke.svg Duke
File:Cap of an Imperial Count.svg Count File:Cap of an Imperial Baron.svg Baron File:Cap of an Imperial Knight.svg Knight File:Bonnet d`honneur.png
Bonnet
d'honneur

July Monarchy[edit]

King of the
French

Georgia[edit]

File:Iberia-Georgia Royal Crown.svg Georgian Royal Crown, also known as the "Iberian Crown"

German-speaking countries[edit]

Holy Roman Empire[edit]

Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire Older Imperial Crown Newer Imperial Crown Oldest Crown of the King of the Romans
Older Crown of the King of the Romans Newer Crown of the King of the Romans Crown of the King of Bohemia Generic Crown of a King or Grand Duke
Archducal hat Ducal hat of Styria Oldest Electoral hat Older Electoral hat
New Electoral hat & new Ducal hat Ducal crown Crown of an heir to a duchy Princely hat (also used by Mediatized Counts
Princely crown Crown of a Landgrave Older crown of a Count Newer crown of a Count
Older crown of a Baron/Template:Lang Newer Crown of a Baron/Freiherr Older Crown of Nobility Newer Crown of Nobility

Liechtenstein[edit]

Prince of Liechtenstein

Austria[edit]

File:Mural crown (Bundesadler).svg Mural crown of the coat of arms of Austria File:Mural crown (Lower Austria).svg Mural crown of the State of Lower Austria

Austrian Empire

Crown of the Emperor of Austria Crown of the King of Bohemia Archducal hat Archducal crown
Ducal hat of Styria Ducal hat Ducal crown Princely hat
Princely crown Crown of a Count Crown of a Baron/Freiherr Crown of Nobility

Germany[edit]

Volkskrone (People's Crown) Mural crown of the arms of the Berlin boroughs

German Empire

File:State Crown of the German Empire.svg Crown of the German Emperor Crown of the German Empress Crown of the German Crown Prince
Crown of the King of Prussia Crown of the King of Bavaria Crown of the King of Württemberg

Hanover[edit]

File:Heraldic crown of the king of Hanover.svg.png Crown of the King of Hanover

Greece[edit]

File:Crown of the Kingdom of Greece.svg Crown of the King of the Hellenes File:Royal Crown of Denmark.svg The Crown as it appears on the Royal Coat of Arms of Greece

Hungary[edit]

Holy Crown of Hungary

Italy[edit]

File:Crown of Italian Province.svg Province File:Mural Crown of Italian City.svg City File:Mural Crown of Italian Comune (New Variant).svg Municipality

Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946)[edit]

File:Corona Reale italiana.svg King (crown of Savoy) File:Corona di principe ereditario italiano.svg Heir to the throne (Prince of Piedmont) File:Italian Crown of Savoy-Aosta Princes.svg Royal princeTemplate:Efn File:Coronet of a Prince-ss of Savoy.svg Prince of the blood
File:Corona normale di duca italiano.svg Duke File:Corona normale di marchese italiano.svg Marquess File:Corona normale di conte italiano.svg Count File:Corona normale di visconte italiano.svg Viscount
File:Corona normale di barone italiano.svg Baron File:Corona normale di nobile italiano.svg Noble File:Corona normale di cavaliere ereditario italiano.svg Hereditary Knight File:Corona normale di patrizio italiano.svg Patrician
File:Crown of Italian Province (Variant).svg Province File:Mural Crown of Italian City.svg City File:Mural Crown of Italian Comune (New Variant).svg Municipality

Kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, Two Sicilies[edit]

File:Heraldic Royal Crown of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.svg King of Naples File:Heraldic Crown of Heir to the Throne of the Two Sicilies.svg Heir to the throne (Duke of Calabria) File:Heraldic Coronet of Princes and Princesses of the Two Sicilies.svg Prince and princess

Grand Duchy of Tuscany[edit]

Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany Habsburg-Lorraine Grand Dukes of Tuscany

Other Italian states before 1861[edit]

File:Corona ferrea monza (heraldry).svg
Iron Crown of Lombardy
Papal Tiara 		File:Crown of San Marino (Heraldry).svg
Crown of San Marino 		File:Crown of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.svg
Crown of Napoleonic Italy 		File:Doza.png
Doge of Venice 		File:Doge's Crown.svg
Doge of Genoa 		File:Crown of Parma.svg
Duke of Parma

Low Countries[edit]

Netherlands[edit]

File:Rangkroon keizer.svg Holy Roman Emperor File:Rangkroon Koning.svg King File:Rangkroon Koning.svg Prince
(Members of the Royal House,
children of the Monarch) 		File:Rangkroon Kleinkinderen van Koning.svg Prince
(Members of the Royal House,
grandchildren of the Monarch)
File:Rangkroon Prins.svg Prince
(nobility, for titles granted after 1815) 		File:Rangkroon Hertog.svg Duke File:Rangkroon Markies.svg Marquess File:Rangkroon Graaf.svg Count
File:Rangkroon Burggraaf.svg Viscount File:Rangkroon Baron.svg Baron File:Rangkroon Ridder.svg Hereditary Knight File:Rangkroon Ridder.svg Jonkheer

Belgium[edit]

The older crowns are often still seen in the heraldry of older families.

File:Royal Crown of Belgium (Heraldic).svg King File:Princely Crown of Belgium (Heraldic).svgPrince of the Royal house Prince
(nobility, for titles granted after 1815) 		Prince
(nobility, for titles granted during the Ancien Régime)
File:Rangkronen-Fig. 04.png Duke File:Rangkronen-Fig. 15.png Marquess Count Count (older)
File:Crown of a Count of the Low Countries (Ancien Regime).svg Count (oldest) File:Rangkronen-Fig. 25.png Viscount Baron File:Old Crown of a Baron of the Low Countries.svg Baron (older)
File:Rangkronen-Fig. 34.png Hereditary Knight
(Chevalier/Erfridder)

Luxembourg[edit]

File:Crown of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.svg Grand Duke

Monaco[edit]

File:Crown of Monaco (Heraldic).svg Prince

Montenegro[edit]

File:Crown of Montenegro (emperor).svg Monarchy 1860-1918 File:Crown of Montenegro (Kingdom).svg Republic 2006-Present

Poland and Lithuania[edit]

File:Koronamala.png Heraldic Crown of the King Crown of Bolesław I the Brave Crown of Bolesław I the Brave of Poland Grand Duke Princely Hat Prince Count Baron Rangkronen-Fig. 38 Nobleman

Portugal[edit]

File:Mural Crown of Capital - Portugal.svg Capital city (Lisbon) File:Mural Crown of City - Portugal.svg City File:Mural Crown of Town - Portugal.svg Town File:Mural Crown of Civil Parish - Portugal.svg Civil Parish
File:Mural Crown of Administrative Regions of Portugal.svg Overseas province
(1930-1999)

Kingdom of Portugal (until 1910)

King Heir to the throne (Prince Royal) Prince of Beira Infante Duke
Marquess Count Viscount Baron Knight / Fidalgo


Romania[edit]

File:Romanian Mural Crown - Capital.svg File:Romanian Mural Crown - City.svg File:Romanian Mural Crown - Town.svg File:Romanian Mural Crown - Village.svg
Capital City Town Village

Kingdom of Romania[edit]

File:Steel Crown of Romania.svg King (The Steel Crown of Romania)

Russia[edit]

File:Heraldic Imperial Crown of Russia.svg Emperor File:Heraldic Crown of the Empress of Russia.svg Empress File:Crown of Russian Empress Anna Ivanowna.svg Crown of Congress Poland File:Finnish grand ducal crown.svg Crown of the Grand Duchy of Finland
File:Siberian cap.svg Altabas cap File:Drevnosti RG v2 ill003a - Kazan Cap.svg Kazan cap File:Monomakh hat.svg Monomakh's Cap File:Russian Princely hat.svg Prince
Count Baron File:Rangkronen-Fig. 30.svg Baron (alternative style) File:Heraldic crown of a Russian nobleman.png Crown of Nobility

Nordic countries[edit]

Denmark[edit]

File:Royal Crown of Denmark.svg King File:Crown of the Crown Prince of Denmark.svg Crown Prince File:Crown of a Prince of Denmark.svg Prince (royal family) File:T02 Danish Duke.svg Duke
File:T03 Danish Marquis.svg Marquess File:T04 Danish Count.svg Count File:T05 Danish Baron.svg Baron File:T06 Danish Nobility.svg Crown of Nobility

Iceland[edit]

File:Heraldic Crown of Iceland.png King

Finland[edit]

During the Swedish reign, Swedish coronets were used. Crowns were used in the coats of arms of the historical provinces of Finland. For Finland Proper, Satakunta, Tavastia and Karelia, it was a ducal coronet, for others, a comital coronet. In 1917 with independence, the coat of arms of Finland was introduced with a grand ducal crown, but it was soon removed, in 1920. Today, some cities use coronets, e.g. Pori has a mural crown and Vaasa a Crown of Nobility.

File:Royal Crown of Finland.svg
Physical crown design of the King 		File:Heraldic grand princely crown (Finland).svg
Generic grand ducal crown

used in late 19th to early 20th c.

File:Suuriruhtinaan kruunu.svg
Grand ducal crown used in

the state coat of arms in 1917–1920.

File:Herttuan kruunu.svg
Ducal coronet 		File:Kreivikunnankruunu.svg
Comital coronet 		File:Muurikruunu.svg
Mural crown

Norway[edit]

File:Corona Norvegica.svg
Heraldic crown of the King 		File:Crown of the King of Norway (fictional).svg
Physical crown of the King 		File:Crown of the Queen of Norway (fictional).svg
Physical crown of the Queen
File:Crown of the Crown Prince of Norway.svg Crown Prince File:Crown of Princes and of Princesses of Norway.svg Prince or Princess File:T02 Danish Duke.svg Duke File:T03 Danish Marquis.svg Marquess
File:T04 Danish Count.svg Count File:T05 Danish Baron.svg Baron File:T06 Danish Nobility.svg Crown of Nobility

Sweden[edit]

File:Royal crown of the King of Sweden.svg King/Queen File:Heraldique Suede Couronne Prince Héritier.svg Crown Prince/Crown Princess File:Heraldique Suede Couronne Prince.svg Prince/Princess (aka Duke/Duchess)
File:Grevlig rangkrona.svg Count/Countess File:Friherrlig rangkrona.svg Baron/Baroness File:Obetitlad adel.svg Untitled Nobility

Serbia[edit]

File:Serbian medieval crown.svg Emperor (medieval) File:Crown of Petar I.svg King (after 1903)
File:Serbian empire crown.svg
Coat of arms design (1882-1918; 2004-2010)
File:Serbia crown.svg
Coat of arms design (after 2010)

Spain[edit]

King (National arms design) King (Monarch's arms design) King (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia) Heir to the throne (Prince of Asturias)
Heir to the throne (Prince of Girona) (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia) Infante Infante (Aragon, Catalonia, Balearics, Valencia) Grandee of Spain
Duke Marquess Count Viscount
Baron Señor/Don (Lord) Hidalgo (Nobleman) Knight's burelete

Ukraine[edit]

File:Crown of Rus'-Ukraine (heraldic).svg Crown of Ruthenia


Non-European usages[edit]

Bahrain[edit]

File:Royal Crown of Bahrain (Heraldic).svg King

Bhutan[edit]

File:Raven Crown.svg 'Raven Crown' of the Kingdom of Bhutan

Brazil[edit]

File:Brasilian Mural Crown - Capital.svg File:Brasilian Mural Crown - City.svg File:Brasilian Mural Crown - Town.svg File:Brasilian Mural Crown - Village.svg
Capital of State of the FederationTemplate:Efn CityTemplate:Efn TownTemplate:Efn VillageTemplate:Efn

Empire of Brazil

File:Imperial Crown Brazil.svg Emperor File:Coronet of the Imperial Prince of Brazil.svg Heir to the throne (Prince Imperial) File:Hráldica Príncipe do Brasil.png Prince of Grão-Pará File:Coronet of a Prince of Brazil.svg Prince File:Coronet of a Duke of Brazil.svg Duke
File:Coronet of a Marquess of Brazil.svg Marquess File:Coronet of a Count of Brazil.svg Count File:Coronet of a Viscount of Brazil.svg Viscount File:Coronet of a Baron of Brazil.svg Baron

Brunei[edit]

File:Crown of Brunei Darusalam.png Crown of Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia[edit]

File:Royal Crown of Cambodia (heraldry).svg Crown of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Central African Empire[edit]

File:Imperial Crown of Bokassa I.svg Emperor

Chile[edit]

File:Chilean Mural Crown (Commune).svg Municipal Mural Crown
File:Heraldic Royal Crown of Easter Island.svg Royal Crown of Easter Island

China[edit]

File:Imperial Crown of Qing Dynasty.svg Emperor

Egypt[edit]

File:Crown of the Wali and later Khedive of Egypt.png Wali (1854 - 1867) and Khedive (1867 -1914) File:Crown of the Khedive of Egypt.svg Sultan (1914–22) File:Heraldic Royal Crown of Egypt.svg King (1922–53)
File:Pa Skhemti.png King of Upper and Lower Egypt File:Hemhem.png Hemhem File:Atef crown.svg Atef
File:Deshret.svg King of Lower Egypt File:Hedjet.svg King of Upper Egypt File:Vulture Crown.png Queen
File:Shuti Crown.png Shuti File:Blue crown.svg Blue Crown File:Cap Crown.png Cap Crown

Ethiopia[edit]

File:Imperial Crown of Ethiopia.svg Emperor

Fiji[edit]

File:Fiji crown.svg Crown of Fiji

Haiti[edit]

File:Crown of Haiti (1849-1859) - Second Empire of Haiti.jpg Emperor (2nd Empire)

Hawaii[edit]

File:Royal Crown of Hawaii.svg Crown of Hawaii

Iran[edit]

File:Kiani Crown of Imperial Iran (heraldry).svg Crown of the Shah of Persia
File:Pahlavi Crown of Imperial Iran (heraldry).svg Crown of the Shah of Iran

Iraq[edit]

File:Heraldic Crown of Iraq.png Crown of Iraq

Jordan[edit]

File:Royal Crown of Jordan.svg Crown of Jordan

Libya[edit]

File:Heraldic Crown of Libya.png Crown of Libya

Kyrgyzstan[edit]

File:Kyzyl Tebetei.svg Crown of Kara-Kygyz Khanate

Malaysia[edit]

File:Heraldic Crown of Johor.png Johor
File:Heraldic Crown of Kelantan.png Kelantan
File:Heraldic Crown of Terengganu.png Terengganu

Mexico[edit]

File:Crown of Mexico (I).svg Emperor (1st Empire)
File:Crown of Mexico (II).svg Emperor (2nd Empire)
File:Prince Crown 1.svg Prince (1st Empire and 2nd Empire)

Morocco[edit]

File:Crown of Morocco 1.svg Heraldic Crown of Morocco

Nepal[edit]

File:Crown of Nepal.png Crown of Nepal

Oman[edit]

File:Crown of Oman.svg Crown of Oman

Rwanda[edit]

File:Crown of the King (Mwami) of Rwanda.svg Crown of the Kingdom of Rwanda

Saudi Arabia[edit]

File:Heraldic Crown of Saudi Arabia.png Crown of Saudi Arabia

Siam and Thailand[edit]

File:Great Crown of Victory (heraldry).svg Great Crown of Victory of the Kings of Siam and Thailand
File:Phra Kiao Colored.svg Phra Kiao (princely coronet, also the emblem of King Chulalongkorn)
File:Royal Crown of the Crown of Siam.png coronet of the Crown prince of Siam/Thailand

Tahiti[edit]

File:Crown of Tahiti.svg Crown of Tahiti

Tonga[edit]

File:Royal Crown of Tonga.svg Crown of Tonga

Other examples[edit]

File:Congo crown.svg Twig crown of the Republic of the Congo<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
File:Coronet of the College of Arms Foundation (United States).svg College of Arms Foundation of the United States

Ecclesiastical Hats[edit]

Anglican Communion[edit]

Catholic Church[edit]

Multinational[edit]

Astral crown Camp crown Celestial crown Eastern crown
File:UK Mural Crown (Common).svg Mural crown Naval crown

As a charge[edit]

In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field of a coat of arms. Many coats of arms incorporate crowns as charges. One notable example of this lies in the Three Crowns of the arms of Sweden.

Additionally, many animal charges (frequently lions and eagles) and sometimes human heads also appear crowned. Animal charges gorged (collared) of an open coronet also occur, though more often as supporters than as charges.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> <ref>Template:Cite book</ref> <ref>Cox, Noel The Coronets of Members of the Royal Family and of the Peerage. Template:Webarchive Originally published in (1999) 22 The Double Tressure, the Journal of The Heraldry Society of Scotland 8-13. Acceded 8 April 2017</ref> <ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Retrieved from "https://wikientry.ablic.org/mlang/index.php?title=Crown_(Heraldry)&oldid=330"